Another Massacre in Texas
The Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 26:
“We are caught in a vicious cycle.
“With alarming regularity, the nation is being subjected to a heartbreaking spate of violence that terrorizes the populace, fractures communities, and gives the government greater justifications to crack down, lock down, and institute even more authoritarian policies for the so-called sake of national security without many objections from the citizenry.
“Mass shootings have taken place in schools, on college campuses, movie theaters, nightclubs, grocery stores, concert venues, bars, workplaces, churches, on military bases, and in government offices. In almost every instance, the shooters were dressed in military-style gear and armed with military-style weapons.
“Take the latest shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas, when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, wearing body armor and carrying a rifle, walked into Robb Elementary School and opened fire, leaving at least 19 children and two teachers dead. This Uvalde shooting took place ten days after another 18-year-old man heavily armed and wearing tactical gear (including a tactical helmet and plated armor), opened fire in a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y, killing 10 people.
“In 2018, a 19-year-old former student armed with a gas mask, smoke grenades, magazines of ammunition, and an AR-215-style semi automatic rifle, opened fire on students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., leaving 17 people dead.
“Ten years ago, 20-year-old Adam Lanza—wearing body armor and black clothing, and armed with military-style weapons—opened fire on students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., leaving 26 dead…
“According to an FBI report issued the day before the Uvalde shooting, these kinds of ‘active shooter attacks’ have doubled in recent years…
“… surely there’s more to these shootings than just easy access to weapons and mental illness.
“Ask yourself: Why do these mass shootings keep happening? Who are these shooters modelling themselves after? Where are they finding the inspiration for their weaponry and tactics? Whose stance and techniques are they mirroring?…
“The United States is the number one consumer, exporter and perpetrator of violence and violent weapons in the world… We have been a nation at war for most of our existence… We are being fed a steady diet of violence through our entertainment, news, sports and politics…
“Then there are the growing number of violent video games, a number of which… have accustomed players to interactive war play through military simulations and first-person shooter scenarios. As Esther J. Cepeda writes for The Washington Post, ‘Violent video games alone do not cause people to go off the rails, arm themselves and open fire on innocent people in public places. But there’s also no question that there is something wrong with a multibillion-dollar video game industry that sells to young men the ability to virtually assassinate a foe as an escape from real life.’…
“You want to stop the gun violence? Stop the worship of violence that permeates our culture…”
Satan is the god of this world, and he is the destroyer of mankind. Only after Christ has returned, man will begin to see how horrible violence and war are. Then they will receive a new heart and mind, and they will embrace a new and peaceful way of thinking. In the meantime, the glorification of weapons, especially in the USA, will continue.
WHO to Become an Autocratic Superpower?
On May 21, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano wrote the following in LifeSiteNews:
“In the coming days, the Nations that adhere to the World Health Organization (WHO) [may] vote on resolutions regarding the WHO’s management of pandemics [As we point out below, however, the vote on those resolutions is not on their agenda.]. These resolutions [would] transfer sovereignty regarding the health of citizens to a supranational body that is largely financed by the pharmaceutical industry and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If these resolutions are approved by a majority, the WHO will have exclusive international authority in the case of a pandemic to impose all the rules, including quarantines, lockdowns, obligatory vaccinations, and vaccine passports. It should also be borne in mind that this organization enjoys immunity, and thus its members cannot be either tried or convicted if they commit crimes. Unelected technocrats will paradoxically have more power than that which citizens confer on their representatives by means of their democratic vote.
“It therefore sounds absurd, to say the least, that there is now a desire to give binding decision-making power to the WHO, when in its management of the recent pandemic emergency and the vaccine campaign the greatest damage was done in terms of the number of deaths and of patients who have suffered permanent damage to their health. In addition to the impunity it enjoyed for the crimes it has committed thanks to the silence of the mainstream media, the WHO also has total discretion over how to respond to the upcoming emergencies that are obviously being planned by the pharmaceutical lobby. The marginalization of health personnel who appeal to the Hippocratic Oath risks becoming the norm by which to eliminate every voice of dissent…
“The Holy See… is a Permanent Observer at the United Nations and also at the WHO for one year now… The present conspiratorial silence of the Vatican, after the hasty pronouncements it made at the beginning of the pandemic and its shameful endorsements of Big Pharma… has made itself an accomplice in a crime against God and man…”
However, whether the WHO will indeed acquire such global powers at this point is doubtful. Note the next articles.
The Proposed Pandemic Treaty
The Washington Post wrote on May 22:
“The World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO’s 194 member states, is holding its first fully in-person event in two years… theories focus largely on the discussion of a ‘pandemic treaty’ — a potential agreement that could… regulate how countries prepare for and respond to future pandemics. Though such a treaty will not be agreed upon at the assembly, the backlash has spread fast and far beyond the world of global health…
“A pandemic treaty is not imminent. Though member states agreed in December that a new agreement is needed, it will take years of negotiations to reach a final draft; 2024 is the target. Nor will it grant WHO sweeping new powers, as the organization has no army nor power of sanction and will still need to rely on member states to comply and enforce its rules… Even if the text for a treaty on pandemic preparedness is reached, it would have to be signed, ratified and enforced by the member states themselves.”
Of course, all of that could happen rather quickly… but then, it might not.
The Pandemic Treaty
Politico wrote on May 20:
“Many of the consequential decisions, such as those on a pandemic treaty and changes to the International Health Regulations, will only happen years from now. Even the matters that will likely be agreed on at the assembly, such as the WHO’s future budget and the timelines to increase the budget, stretch years into the future… the most controversial proposal — for a pandemic treaty — isn’t even on the agenda at the assembly.
“What was meant to be considered were amendments proposed by the U.S. to the International Health Regulation, a legally binding law that governs how countries are meant to respond to health threats. The wide-ranging proposal from the U.S. suggested giving the WHO greater powers to share information from countries experiencing events that could put public health at risk. But decisions on this are now set to be delayed, with countries having agreed on a watered-down proposal related to procedural decisions on when changes to the regulations would come into effect.”
It has been reported that especially Russia and China have objected to a “pandemic treaty.”
Biden Misrepresents Again—Or Does He?
Breitbart wrote on May 23:
“President Joe Biden forced his own White House on Monday to again walk back a false claim of his that Washington has a military ‘commitment’ to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion, most likely by China.
“Biden answered affirmatively to a question about defending Taiwan on Monday during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo. Asked if he would be willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, Biden replied, ‘Yes. That’s the commitment we made,’ citing the Taiwan Act.
“Taiwan is a sovereign state governed under a free and democratic system. China falsely claims it as a ‘province’ and regularly threatens violen[ce] to bring about ‘reunification’ (Taiwan has never been governed by a regime based in Beijing in its history). The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a state, a concession to China granted by former President Jimmy Carter.
“The Taiwan Act allows Washington to establish ‘relations’ with Taipei separately from Beijing and allows the United States ‘to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character,’ but does not make a military commitment to defend Taiwan’s independence. No military treaty exists between Taiwan and America.
“The White House soon issued a statement to the media reassuring the world once again that Biden’s remarks did not create a new military commitment for America…
“This is not the first time that Biden has seemingly fabricated a military commitment to defend Taiwan… In October, the White House also walked back his rhetoric on Taiwan after he said the United States would act to defend Taiwan if China invaded.”
No Communion for Nancy Pelosi Because of Her Grave Sin and Evil
AFP wrote on May 20:
“The archbishop of San Francisco told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that she is barred from receiving communion over her support for abortion rights, the archdiocese said in a letter released Friday. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said in the letter that he had previously asked Pelosi to ‘publicly repudiate your advocacy for abortion “rights” or else refrain from referring to your Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion’ – or face the consequence of being denied access to the rite. ‘As you have not publicly repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come,’ the archbishop said…
“‘Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s position on abortion has become only more extreme over the years, especially in the last few months,’ Cordileone wrote. ‘Just earlier this month she once again, as she has many times before, explicitly cited her Catholic faith while justifying abortion as a “choice,” this time setting herself in direct opposition to Pope Francis…
“The archbishop quoted Pelosi from a statement Pelosi gave to the Seattle Times following that leak: ‘The very idea that they would be telling women the size, timing or whatever of their family, the personal nature of this is so appalling, and I say that as a devout Catholic,’ Pelosi said in the statement. ‘They say to me, ‘Nancy Pelosi thinks she knows more about having babies than the Pope.’ Yes I do. Are you stupid?’
“The archbishop continued: ‘After numerous attempts to speak with her to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that the point has come in which I must make a public declaration that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion “rights” and confess and receive absolution for her cooperation in this evil in the sacrament of Penance… Cordileone referred to the church’s Cannon 915, which says: ‘Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.’ The Catechism of the Catholic Church opposes abortion.”
Breitbart wrote on May 21:
“Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila released a statement Friday in support of San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for barring Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion because of her aggressive abortion advocacy… ‘Church teaching is clear that people endanger their souls if they are separated from God because of grave sin and then receive the most Holy Eucharist in an unworthy manner,’ he said… When that person is a public figure, he added, ‘love for the community means guarding against scandal and confusion and allowing others to be led into sin if they don’t see the issue addressed in an appropriate and compassionate manner.’
“Archbishop Aquila encouraged the faithful of his own archdiocese ‘to read the letters written by Archbishop Cordileone, and to ask the Holy Spirit with an open heart to clear away any doubt or confusion you have about this issue, and lead you into a more intimate and full relationship with Jesus… let us pray for our state and country, that we may once again view every precious life as a true gift from our heavenly Father.’”
He “nicely” promoted the Trinity… Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Except, the Holy Spirit is not a person, and praying to the Holy Spirit is wrong.
A House Divided…
ABC News added on May 20:
“Cordileone over the past year has been among the most outspoken U.S. bishops advocating that Communion be denied to President Joe Biden and other politicians who support abortion rights. However, each bishop has authority in his own diocese on this matter, and the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has affirmed that Biden is welcome to receive the sacrament there. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last November overwhelmingly approved a long-anticipated document on Communion that stopped short of calling for withholding the sacrament from politicians who support abortion rights but offered justifications for individual bishops to do so.”
The Huffington Post added on May 20:
“Pope Francis warned last September that Communion should never be politicized… Francis said he had ‘never denied the Eucharist’ to anyone. The pontiff was responding to calls then by conservative Catholics to deny Communion to President Joe Biden, also because of his stance supporting women’s reproductive rights. A month later, Biden met personally with the pope at the Vatican. Francis told him he was a ‘good Catholic’ and that he should ‘keep receiving Communion,’ Biden said.”
Of course, one can’t know how true Biden’s statement is, as he is known for exaggerations and lies. But Francis did not dispute the statement… so a political Church states one should not become political.
The Left Responds…
Fox News wrote on May 22:
“The San Francisco Examiner’s editorial board wrote a scathing rebuke of the city’s archbishop, Salvatore Cordileone, after he announced he would deny… Pelosi Holy Communion… In response, the liberal editorial board blasted the Catholic leader for ‘punishing’ Pelosi, instead of ‘right-wing politicians’… They defended Pelosi as a leader who has ‘consistently fought on the morally right side of these issues,’ and praised her as a role model for women.
“The editorial board argued that by denying Pelosi Holy Communion, the archbishop wasn’t being loyal to Christ. ‘Cordileone’s chief loyalty is not to Christ, but to the cabal of far-right American bishops led by Raymond Leo Burke, a Catholic prelate who has led a continual campaign to undermine Pope Francis’ authority,’ they wrote, before demanding the Pope remove the ‘radical conservative’ from San Francisco.
“We repeat the call for Pope Francis to remove him and replace him with a leader who can unify rather than divide. Cordileone’s radical conservative politics might attract more people to the faith in places like Oklahoma or Texas, but his partisan pomposity will win no converts in San Francisco,” the editorial board complained. ‘It is Nancy Pelosi, not Archbishop Cordileone, who reflects the true spirit of Christian care in the City of St. Francis,’ the board wrote.”
Incredible! We repeat and say it again: Abortion is murder, and neither Pelosi nor the Editorial Board of the San Francisco Examiner reflect in any manner, shape or form the godly values of true Christianity when it comes to abortion. How Pelosi can be viewed as a role model for women when she defends the murder of innocent unborn children is absolutely beyond imagination.
The Lies of the Abortionists
Fox News wrote on May 20:
“The abortion industry… has for decades told women and girls that a preborn baby is nothing but a clump of cells. That lie is what I, and millions of women and girls, remember being told. That is the lie being told to millions of vulnerable women and girls who are lined up in abortion clinics like widgets on an assembly line, forced to fork over hundreds of dollars in advance, and have their babies dismembered and then sucked out by vacuum from their womb. But, from the moment a baby is conceived, it is much more than a clump of cells. At 4 weeks, a baby’s brain and heart tissue begin to develop, and the first heartbeat can be detected after 22 days. Limbs and major organs start forming shortly thereafter and then come the lips and nose. A preborn baby responds to touch by week 6 and scientists have discovered that preborn babies may be able to feel pain as early as 12 weeks gestational age. Ultrasounds show the beating heart and small fingers and toes.
“These are the facts the abortion industry doesn’t want you to hear. The argument in favor of abortion is encapsulated in the slogan, ‘My body, my choice.’ This argument, however, is fundamentally flawed. It deliberately ignores the fact that innocent infant lives are at the center of the abortion issue. What about the body of the preborn baby? What about their choice? There are two bodies involved in an abortion, the mother’s and the baby’s. The circumstances of the mother, however tragic and difficult, must not devalue the life of the child she carries and the long-term psychological impact on the mother who has an abortion cannot be thrown aside. Abortion providers make money off abortions and the sale of baby body parts for research.”
In fact, there are more than just “two bodies” involved. It also includes the “body” of the father and, most importantly, but always conveniently overlooked, is the “bodies” of the God Family—consisting of God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Preaching on Sin Outdated
The Washington Times wrote on May 22:
“… the Apostle Paul… told the first-century church that ‘everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ and ‘there is none righteous, no not one.’ From its inception, the church has consistently taught that ‘the human heart is desperately wicked’ and ‘beyond cure’ (Jeremiah)…
“Rather than warning of the consequences of sin, it appears that many of our contemporary evangelical preachers and teachers are celebrating it. Karl Menninger once asked, ‘Whatever became of sin?’ Well, it appears that in today’s churches, it has gone… Preaching about sin is now viewed as outdated and too judgmental… Contemporary church attendees are now told they are born good and that anyone suggesting they are sinners is a sinner for doing so.
“… the new world of the American Christian [is] a religion whose congregants see themselves as sinless, and everyone who dares disagree with them is sinful…
“Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because they wanted to supplant God and become gods themselves. And as such, they declared that they would decide what was right and what was wrong, what was true and what was false, and what was just and what was unjust. In essence, they chose to define what sin was and wasn’t, and thus, they denied its existence while, at the same time, giving it birth. The story of the garden teaches us that when anyone but God declares themselves to be good, it never ends well…”
Clinton’s Legacy of Lies
The New York Post wrote on May 21:
“Proving that what’s old is new again, here is how the late William Safire began his New York Times column of Jan. 8, 1996: ‘Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady [Hillary Clinton] — a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation — is a congenital liar. Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.’
“Safire detailed a series of situations where Hillary Clinton was caught in obvious lies, and there is a straight line to the Hillary Clinton whose shadow hangs over the [current] Michael Sussmann trial in Washington. Once again, Clinton is being exposed as ‘compelled to mislead’ and ensnaring ‘her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.’
“And to think she almost got away with stealing the presidency. It is in keeping with her history that she is portrayed as the off-stage chief conniver at a trial that is, like her, something of a throwback. Coming six years after the 2016 presidential campaign, the Sussmann trial inevitably carries an air of anti-climax.
“After all, we have known since the Robert Mueller report in 2019 that the charge that Donald Trump colluded with Russia was fake news. And we have known for almost as long that Clinton’s campaign secretly funded the smear merchants at Fusion GPS who hired Christopher Steele who fabricated a ‘dossier’ that was long on lies and gossip and short on facts. Finally, we have known that Jim Comey’s FBI was punch drunk on power and some of its top officials were foaming at the mouth to help Clinton defeat Trump. They were so dirty they used the rancid dossier to get court approval to spy on Trump’s campaign.
“That sequence adds a strange dimension to the Sussmann case in the sense that the only charge against him — that he lied to the FBI in denying he was working for Clinton in trying to peddle Russia trash — makes the agency look innocent, when it was, in its own way, as guilty as Clinton.
“Still, there is value in special counsel John Durham’s tireless effort to reveal the secrets of the dirtiest dirty trick ever. His assignment was to probe how and why the FBI took the unprecedented step of spying on the campaign of the opposing party’s presidential candidate and while the going has been slow, he is adding important details to a major stain on our national history.
“The Biden administration would surely love to shut Durham down, but convicting Sussmann likely would give the prosecutor new impetus and save his probe from the Democrats’ ax. It is vital that he continue because, although it failed to elect Clinton, the hoax was sensationally successful in capturing the media’s attention and implanting a deep distrust of Trump, thanks in part to the Deep State’s anonymous sources who fed media hysterics.
“Democrats, especially Nancy Pelosi, insisted Trump was an illegitimate president for his entire term. One result was that the party refused to negotiate with him, robbing America of any meaningful bipartisanship even on issues like infrastructure. Another outcome was the 2018 midterms, where the hoax surely played a role in the public’s decision to hand control of the House to Dems, who instantly began their Russia, Russia, Russia investigation and soon turned to impeaching Trump.
“The Clinton lies, then, did enormous damage…
“Meanwhile, the related misconduct of the media, the FBI and other government agencies resulted in an incalculable loss of credibility that continues to grow as new facts emerge. In that sense, the most redeeming feature of the Sussmann case is the proof that the Steele dossier wasn’t Clinton’s only effort to fabricate so-called ‘evidence’ about Trump and Russia. Testimony is revealing that the pattern the two efforts followed was almost identical.
“First her campaign concocted a lie, then secretly peddled it to Trump-hating media and the Trump-hating FBI…
“It was… Sussmann’s job to get the New York Times to run a story on the claim, an effort Clinton herself approved, according to testimony from her former campaign manager, Robbie Mook. Although the Times didn’t bite on that one, other media outlets did, and Clinton herself tweeted about the stories to magnify their impact as she hoped for an October surprise. One of her aides then, Jake Sullivan, was also pushing the fake story as a national security threat, and he is now Joe Biden’s national security adviser…
“[Clinton] was a lousy, lazy presidential candidate who made up slanderous tales about her opponent to cover up her own unpopularity and failures. As proof, the trial resurrected declassified notes from September of 2016 written by John Brennan, then CIA director. It said intelligence officials learned Clinton planned to tar Trump with Russia ties ‘as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.’
“The notes suggest Brennan briefed then-President Barack Obama on the finding, yet Obama still went along with the FBI probe of Trump and told Comey how to brief the president-elect in January of 2017 on the most salacious parts of the Steele dossier. Assuming Durham is able to continue, his real challenge will be finding someone in her circle who was not ensnared in Clinton’s web of deceit.”
Hillary Clinton Strongly Implicated in the “Russia” Hoax Scandal
On May 21, the Hill published the following article by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:
“The trial of former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann crossed a critical threshold Friday when a key witness uttered the name ‘Hillary Clinton’ in conjunction with a plan to spread the false Alfa Bank Russian collusion claim before the 2016 presidential election.
“For Democrats and many in the media, Hillary Clinton has long held a Voldemort-like status [something like “a holy cow” protection and immunity] as ‘She who must not be named’ in scandals. Yet, there was her former campaign manager, Robby Mook, telling a jury that Clinton personally approved a plan to spread the claim of covert communications between the Trump organization and the Russian bank. It was one of the most successful disinformation campaigns in American politics, and Mook implicated Clinton as green-lighting the gas-lighting of the electorate.
“The mere mention of Clinton’s name sent shockwaves through Washington. In past scandals, the Clintons have always evaded direct responsibility as aides were investigated or convicted, from the Whitewater land dealings to cattle futures. Even when long-sought documents in Whitewater were discovered outside of the family quarters and bearing Hillary Clinton’s fingerprints, Washington quickly moved on.
“Clinton was not supposed to be the object of the Sussmann trial, because Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, issued a series of orders limiting the scope of the trial and its evidence. The orders were viewed as ‘spar[ing] the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee … potential embarrassment.’
“Yet, even after winning such limiting orders, it was the defense that called Mook to the stand… and he proceeded to confirm that Clinton herself approved of the tactic.
“It was Washington’s worst-kept but least-acknowledged secret… Clinton not only approved using the Alpha Bank claim but helped to portray it as an established fact, tweeting: ‘Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.’”
What a web of rotten lies and dirty deceit.
Biden and His Sinking Ship
The Associated Press wrote on May 20:
“President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s performance as president, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, dipping from already negative ratings a month earlier. Overall, only about 2 in 10 adults say the U.S. is heading in the right direction or the economy is good, both down from about 3 in 10 a month earlier. Those drops were concentrated among Democrats, with just 33% within the president’s party saying the country is headed in the right direction, down from 49% in April. Of particular concern for Biden ahead of the midterm elections, his approval among Democrats stands at 73%, a substantial drop since earlier in his presidency. In AP-NORC polls conducted in 2021, Biden’s approval rating among Democrats never dropped below 82%.
“The findings reflect a widespread sense of exasperation in a country facing a cascade of challenges ranging from inflation, gun violence, and a sudden shortage of baby formula to a persistent pandemic… Republicans have not been warm to Biden for a while. Less than 1 in 10 approve of the president or his handling of the economy, but that’s no different from last month… Overall, two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy… Just 18% of Americans say Biden’s policies have done more to help than hurt the economy, down slightly from 24% in March. Fifty-one percent say they’ve done more to hurt than help, while 30% say they haven’t made much difference either way. The percentage of Democrats who say Biden’s policies have done more to help dipped from 45% to 37%, though just 18% say they’ve done more to hurt; 44% say they’ve made no difference… Only 38% back Biden on immigration…
“Overall, 45% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the U.S. relationship with Russia, while 54% disapprove. That’s held steady each month since the war in Ukraine began. Seventy-three percent of Democrats and 15% of Republicans approve… The new poll shows just 21% of Americans say they have ‘a great deal of confidence’ in Biden’s ability to handle the situation in Ukraine; 39% say they have some confidence and 39% say they have hardly any.”
In light of Joe Biden’s terrible job performance, the idea that over 70% of Democrats approve of what he does can only be explained, at best, by complete and total willful ignorance.
House Prices Begin to Fall
Money Week wrote on May 23:
“A recent article in The Economist contains a very nice table which shows that Britain only ranks 13th of 20 countries in its house-price risk table. Sweden, the Netherlands and New Zealand comprise the top three, with famously-overpriced Australia coming in at five, similarly expensive Canada in at seven, and the US joint eighth place (with Denmark). In the two pandemic years… house prices [in the UK] have ‘only’ risen by around 18%; prices in New Zealand by contrast, are up by 46%. In Britain, the share of homeowners who own homes with mortgages outstanding is about one in three. Again, New Zealand stands out as being double that.
“Britain has a very low proportion of mortgage-holders on variable-rate loans. In Norway (fourth on the vulnerability list), 94% of loans are variable rate. In the UK, it’s below 10%. That said, apparently about half of those who have fixed mortgages are on two-year loans – so that’s not as reassuring as it may sound at first…
“Last month, house prices in Canada fell for the first time since April 2020… while sales volumes are down by more than 25% on the year. Sales have fallen across 80% of local markets…
“It’s a very similar story in New Zealand… Prices peaked in November and have been edging lower since, and are down by 5% since then. Transactions fell by 30% in a single month in April. Again, economists are starting to talk about 20% falls. That’s a crash… “
Germany’s Dictatorship Continues
Breitbart wrote on May 20:
“Germany’s crusade for forced vax laws continues after a court in the country [in fact, it was the highest court in the country, German Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, comparable to the US Supreme Court] ruled on Thursday that a mandate requiring caregivers to get jabbed or lose their job is constitutional. The ruling has seemingly emboldened politicians in the country once again to push for a wider forced vax regime covering all older people in the country, despite the fact that many other nation-states across the world have largely relaxed all lockdown measures aimed at tackling the disease… While the court did agree with the challenge’s claim that the law interfered with an individual’s fundamental human rights, it concluded that such interference was in keeping with the German constitution considering the circumstances…
“The court’s ruling, which will now see nursing and healthcare staff dismissed if they cannot provide proof of being jabbed or recently recovered from COVID-19, may have had an emboldening effect on lockdown loving politicians in Germany, with many once again pushing for a more widespread forced vax mandate to be introduced in the country. Officials from the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse reportedly once again made an appeal for mandatory vaccination… saying that a forced vax regime for all aged 60 and up would reduce hospitalisation numbers in the coming autumn.
“The call comes after an identical mandate was flatly rejected by the German parliament back in April, being rejected by the country’s Bundestag by over 80 votes. While this loss was no doubt a setback for many within the country’s pro-lockdown government, it has not stopped those in power from keeping in place hardline lockdown rules… Those flying to and from Germany are still required to wear either FFP2 or medical masks throughout the journey, even if their destination or place of origin has totally relaxed rules regarding mask-wearing.”
Germany’s dictatorial habits and philosophical concepts have never been overcome… and they show again their ugly faces at this time.
Germany Preparing for Gas Shortage
Breitbart wrote on May 22:
“German industry is reportedly preparing to institute gas rationing in Europe’s largest economy as Vladimir Putin’s Russia cut off shipments to Finland, which has launched an application to join the NATO military alliance…
“Germany, even after government measures to lessen dependency on Russian oil and gas, still receives around 35 per cent of its gas imports from Russia, sparking concerns among business leaders that should the supplies be cut off, there could be massive implications for the German economy, which is already experiencing its highest level of inflation in over 40 years….
“Unlike neighbouring France, the German government has pursued a policy of denuclearisation, vowing to shut down all of its reactors in favour of so-called green alternatives like wind and solar. Yet the policy has left them beholden to Russia for natural gas — a fact that was a frequent criticism levied at the country by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The potential of gas rationing in Germany comes as Russia’s state-owned energy firm Gazprom shut off pipeline shipments of liquid natural gas to Finland on Saturday… the shutdown was [reportedly] related to Finland’s state-owned energy firm Gasum refusing to pay Russia in rubles for gas supplies. However, it also noted that the move was likely linked to the decision of the traditionally militarily neutral Finland to join the Western military alliance of NATO this week.
“Gasum has claimed that they have prepared for this eventuality…”
Austria’s and Switzerland’s Neutrality
Deutsche Welle wrote on May 21:
“By declaring their intention to join the NATO defense alliance, Finland and Sweden are respectively abandoning decades and centuries of neutrality. Yet Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said Austria has no intention of following suit… Polls regularly show that some 75% of Austrians wish to maintain neutrality. One would think this would signal the end of the discussion. Still, it begs the question of why Austria’s neutrality appears so non-negotiable, especially since the country pursues a far more active foreign policy path than Sweden, Finland or… Switzerland.
“Austria was once one of the world’s great powers and much of its history has been anything but neutral: Whether when ruling the Holy Roman Empire, or later, in the 19th century, as the Austrian Empire; and eventually, after 1867, as the Austro-Hungarian Empire — when it possessed great swaths of the Balkans and stretched into current-day Ukraine. Austria’s territorial possessions were trimmed back to its current borders as a result of its defeat in World War I and the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain. Still, the country would not officially become neutral until October 26, 1955 — 10 years after suffering another military defeat in World War II — with the signing of the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria as a sovereign state.
“Like Germany at the time, Austria was occupied by the Allied powers (the UK, US, USSR and France)… Neutrality was Austria’s only way to get occupying forces to leave… Back then there was even the threat that Austria would be partitioned like Germany. That threat was avoided when the Allies — especially the US and the Soviet Union — consented to Austria becoming neutral instead…
“Much as in Austria, Swiss neutrality is based on a compromise with great powers: At the 1814-1815 Congress of Vienna, France, Austria and Prussia all agreed to forfeit their interests in the territory in favor of a neutral confederation. Still, there are marked differences between the neighboring Alpine states: Switzerland, for instance, was never a great power. Until it became a nation in 1848, Switzerland was a loose amalgamation of small sovereign states… it traditionally avoids signing on to economic sanctions and is also not a member of the European Union, thus it does not participate in EU foreign or security policy.”
Canada Is Now an Authoritarian State Under Trudeau
The New York Post wrote on May 21:
“Two decades ago, when I was 4 years old, my parents immigrated to Canada from India in search of greater freedoms, autonomy and economic opportunities. They’re core Canadian values — enshrined in our national anthem, which gloriously heralds ‘The True North strong and free.’
“However, the past two years have seen a near complete erosion of the foundational liberal values that have attracted millions of immigrants like myself to this country… the Canadian government has taken its power to extreme levels once only imaginable — let alone permissible — in a dissent-stifling authoritarian state. The control has extended to nearly every element of Canadian society, but nowhere more so than in our everyday personal lives. Take my own case contending with Canada’s COVID bureaucracy a few months back.
“I was returning to Canada from the US when multiple Air Canada employees refused to let me on the plane. Although I had a negative COVID test, the government was suddenly requiring even returning citizens to be vaccinated (unvaccinated foreigners were already barred from entering)…
“COVID is just the beginning of the Canadian madness. The internationally recognized trucker protests earlier this year were the most flagrant display of political control ever witnessed within the ranks of the Canadian government… Trudeau manufactured a National Emergency in order to justify truly outrageous tactics…
“Trudeau… has plunged the country into over $1 trillion in national debt for the first time in history. Every day, that number surges by an additional $400 million. Canada is now at risk for stagflation: both economic stagnation and high inflation, as families are unable to meet their bills…
“As if current measures aren’t authoritarian enough, Trudeau’s government has proposed the ‘online harms’ bill C-36, designed to crack down on hate speech against ethnic and sexual minorities. If passed, the bill would allow citizens to report on others who they fear may post something hateful, leading to possible fines, online surveillance and electronic monitoring. Once a vibrant, liberal democracy, Canada is now becoming an authoritarian state.”
Major Political Change in Australia
The LA Times wrote on May 23:
“Australia’s new prime minister was sworn in Monday and flew to Tokyo for a summit with President Biden while vote-counting continued to determine whether he will command a majority in a Parliament that is demanding tougher action on climate change. [In his Saturday election victory speech, he promised sharper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions]…Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor Party ousted predecessor Scott Morrison’s conservative coalition in Saturday’s election. The coalition had been in power under three different prime ministers for nine years
“Albanese, who describes himself as the first candidate for the office of prime minister with a ‘non-Anglo Celtic name,’ and Malaysian-born Penny Wong, Australia’s first foreign minister to be born overseas, were sworn into office by Governor-General David Hurley… Morrison’s decision to resign as prime minister during early vote-counting enabled Hurley to appoint his replacement without evidence that Albanese can control a majority of seats in Parliament’s lower chamber…”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
